Adverse Weather Conditions
by m-is-for-MollyMansfieldMealing
Summary: Connie and Rita receive some bad news at the airport as they wait for their flight back home from France- how will they go about coping with this, and will they manage to stay civil towards each other? Or will that wind change direction too? Freechamp one-shot :D x


**This was a good idea in my head, but I rambled a bit when I actually wrote it so it ended up longer than expected xD I hope you like it anyway though- I'm starting to quite like writing Freechamp because they could have some banter between them which I quite like! -Sophie x**

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"10:16pm Ryan Air flight 4G78S30 to London Heathrow will be boarding in 30 minutes."

Connie sighed, sitting herself down on one of the airport's notoriously uncomfortable metal seats. She pulled a magazine from her bag and opened it up, eyes glancing down the first page of catwalk models, celebrity gossips and style recommendations.

She had come to the end of her time in France, lecturing at their prestigious medicinal halls to crowds of hopeful young Connie's-to-be. The woman was now waiting for her flight home, sick to death of pastries, breads and bloody cheese. She must have put on half a stone in her 4 week visit and she wasn't happy about it.

Connie yawned, the magazine losing her attention as she looked around the waiting area. Most of the passengers were obviously on business, men and women alike dressed in dark suits and carrying black briefcases or bags. They kept themselves to themselves, listening to music or reading dull looking French newspapers. There didn't seem to be much colour around, until the brunette laid eyes on an approaching figure with short, pixie cut blonde hair.

"Rita? Your flight was meant to leave yesterday!" Connie exclaimed as the nurse reached her row of seats. Up close she looked rough, with dark bags under her eyes and rather crumpled-looking clothes. She had been accompanying her boss on her lecture tour; more because she had to, rather than because she actually _wanted_ to. None of her nursing team dared volunteer, except Jacob Masters whom Connie immediately shot down in flames. She then picked Rita, purely because she was the clinical nurse manager and Tess got swollen ankles on planes.

"You don't think I know that?" Rita snapped, collapsing into the chair next to her boss. "Delayed due to "adverse weather conditions at the destination"." She mimicked the sound of the announcer's voice, with a face that could turn milk sour. "Bloody ridiculous. I had to sleep on these stupid things."

She kicked the metal stand that held the seats up, and Connie felt the vibrations beneath her skirt.

"Oh dear." The clinical lead wasn't quite sure of what to say, and her words came out sounding more patronising than she meant.

"Thanks." The blonde said bitterly, crossing her arms. "Knew I could count on you for some sympathy."

"Sarcasm isn't an attractive quality Nurse Freeman." Connie was quick to quip, looking to the white tiled floor. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a while, until Connie cleared her throat.

"When are you meant to be flying then?"

"We've all been split up and stuck on other flights. Going by that bing bong earlier, I'm on yours."

"Brilliant." Connie muttered to herself, eyes doing her signature roll. "Hopefully _not_ near me."

The tannoy system began to blare out and the same woman's voice from earlier began to ring through the airport.

"I regret to inform you that the 10:16pm Ryan Air flight 4G78S30 to London Heathrow has unfortunately been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions at the location. This will stay cancelled until tomorrow when passengers will receive a text message or email about their new flight arrangements. Sorry for any inconvenience caused."

As the woman continued to speak, Connie felt her heart slowly drop and drop and drop. This was all she needed; an overnight delay at the worst airport she had ever been to.

"Brilliant." She muttered through gritted teeth, until remembering something she spotted earlier.

"Wait, there's a hotel linked with the airport isn't there?" She spoke to herself, but Rita still shrugged as she sunk lower in her seat. "I'll get a room there."

"Lucky you. I don't have any money left." The nurse sighed, watching her boss gather her bags together and stand before pulling her legs up onto the seat, still warm from Connie's body heat.

"Well I'm sure as hell not paying for you. Shouldn't have bought all that perfume from the duty free."

"I didn't know I'd still need the money!" She protested before Connie looked down at her quickly and turned to leave.

"Sneak me some breakfast out in the morning- I'm starving already!" Rita called after her, the sound of her heels clacking against the tiles slowing down. The tall brunette closed her eyes, sighed deeply and turned around.

"For god's sakes. Come on, I haven't got all day."

Rita grinned so widely her cheeks stung and her lips cracked.

…

"Oh bugger." Connie muttered, looking around their room. As it turned out, Connie wasn't as loaded as she thought she was, and could only afford the one room for the both of them. When she opened the door however, she found a double bed rather than 2 singles like she was hoping for.

"What?" Rita asked, standing on her tip-toes to try and see over her boss' shoulders.

"Double bed."

"Oh you're kidding." She pulled a face as she dragged her suitcase into the room. Connie mocked offense.

"Don't sound too excited, please."

Rita just stuck her tongue out at her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Bagsie this side."

"Bagsie?" Connie asked, slightly confused. The nurse raised her eyebrows.

"Bagsie! You bags it? You get the "it" no matter what basically."

"Oh. Never heard of it; I just get what I want anyway." She said airily, opening up one of her cases and pulling out some clothes to sleep in and to wear the next day. It was at this point she was thankful she packed some spares.

"Oh how the other half lives eh?" The nurse raised an eyebrow before copying her company, though her first case was much more disorganised than her boss', which didn't go unnoticed.

"Jesus Christ, if my maid saw that she'd have had a heart attack. How do you find what you're looking for in that mess? It looks like a bomb went off!" Connie looked at the mass of clothes skeptikally, then to Rita who was flinging tops and hats and scarves all over her side of the bed.

" _I don't_ , is the answer to that question." She said, biting her lower lip as she searched the entire contents of the case before sighing and just grabbing random items of clothing.

"These'll do."

"Ri-ight." Connie said slowly, her eyes widening at the state of the bed already. "Well I'm going for a shower whilst you clean this-" she gestured to the clothes, where various items of Rita's underwear were clearly on show. The brunette averted her eyes. "-up."

The nurse nodded and started pulling various heaped piles back into her case, cheeks reddening when she realised what Connie had noticed.

…

Once Rita too had been in the shower and both the women's hair was dry, they went to bed. Connie stayed up for half an hour to read, but Rita tried to fall asleep straight away. However the small blonde still lay wide awake when Connie turned off her bedside lamp. She laid still, eyes closed and breathing slow in an attempt to make her body fall asleep. But there was something stopping her; and she just couldn't deny it anymore. It wasn't the unfamiliar room, or the cooler temperature or the whirring sound of the fan; it wasn't the sounds of suitcases and heels from the corridors, or owls outside or the sounds of traffic- it was her company.

It was Connie.

Partly because she hadn't slept in the same bed as someone since before Mark's conviction, way before she realised she "swung both ways" so to speak. But it was also partly because she was laid next to Connie Beauchamp- her boss, and, deep down, secret crush. Everything about her appealed to the young nurse. From her long fluttering eyelashes, to her hair that always looked perfect no matter what style it was in, to her impeccable fashion sense, to her beautiful and flattering figure. Rita loved every single second of their meetings together, purely so she could admire how stunning her boss was.

"Rita?" Connie whispered into the dark.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, doesn't matter. Thought you were asleep."

"Not yet. I feel wide awake actually."

"Me too."

The room went silent again.

"Shall I put the TV on?" Rita whispered.

"Good idea. And why are we whispering?"

The nurse swung her legs over the side of the mattress and turned her lamp on. The light illuminated their figures and cast a gentle golden glow over Connie's face when she sat up. The breath caught in Rita's chest as she got up and switched on the ancient television which dominated their desk. It sparked into life and the woman got back into bed.

"I don't know whether this is the time talking, but those sheep pajamas are adorable on you." Connie smiled, turning her head to look at her colleague. She blushed slightly.

"Thanks. I've had them years, they're getting a bit tight now. Either I need a new pair or I need to go on a diet." She grinned. The brunette shook her head.

"You don't need to go on a diet, your figure's perfect."

"Coming from you, miss stick-thin insect herself, I'll take that as a huge compliment!" The nurse beamed.

They sat together watching the news, until Connie's breathing became heavy about an hour later. Glancing to her side, Rita realised she'd fallen asleep and had slid down the bed as she did so. The blonde smiled and tucked the sheets beneath her chin, before hesitating. Her face seemed so soft, delicate almost now her features had all relaxed, like that of a sleeping child. Not realising what she was doing, the nurse placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before turning off the TV and also settling down to sleep.

However- unbeknown to Rita, Connie was still awake. Dozing slightly- but still conscious. And in the dark, next to the small pixie haired woman who had managed to capture her heart, Connie smiled herself to sleep.


End file.
